It’s amazing how a simple change can be enough to shake up your entire schedule. Sometimes, it’s as easy as a special breakfast bringing a smile to your kids’ faces. Other times, it’s even simpler: setting up a tent in the middle of the floor.

What do you do with the tent? It might be better to ask, “What can’t you do?” You can finish all sorts of lessons in the tent (though this might not be the best idea for a project-sized lesson or a child who needs to be supervised more regularly). You can cuddle up and read with your toddler. You can camp out, peeking out the door or taking a laptop or tablet inside to watch a movie.

Somehow, a child finds all of these normal, everyday activities even more magical simply because of the presence of the tent.

With snow days coming again this week, this is a great time to bring out something interesting to do indoors. Try pulling out a tent for a little bit of extra fun, and see how many smiles it brings to the faces of the children around you. Just be prepared: if you have more than a couple of children, and all of them will not fit in the tent at the same time, it might be wise to have a spare on hand so that everyone can have a hideaway of their own.

Bickering, after all, is not the point of the project. However, it is amazing to note that children who often can not get along when they are trapped in a house together will frequently be able to get along together just fine within the confines of a much smaller tent.

Tents, simply put, are magical…at least when you’re under the age of twelve.

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My older two kids have been virtual schooled since January of 2012. My youngest is at home with the rest of us, so we try to include activities for him in our days at least part of the time. We use a mix of the Virtual Academy curriculum and supplemental materials.